Archive for July, 2009
« Previous EntriesFinal Episode – Farrah Fawcett’s Public Battle with Cancer
Friday, July 31st, 2009“Cancer is a disease that makes its own rules. Cancer is my own private war.” – Farrah Fawcett It is an extraordinarily brave portrayal of one person’s private battle with cancer. From seemingly constant rounds of treatments, the highs and lows of small victories and frightening test results, to the agony of family and friends [...]
In Celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009For millions of Americans, July 26,1990 was a landmark moment. When President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act, it was a momentous step forward for civil rights – and one that has had profound effects on those citizens living with physical and mental disabilities. In the past 19 years, [...]
Back to the Future with Biofuels
Monday, July 27th, 2009“Current trends in energy supply and consumption are patently unsustainable.” – International Energy Agency report, November 2008 In the final scene of 1985′s blockbuster hit, Back to the Future, Doc Brown arrives from the future in his silver DeLorean time machine, frantically filling his engine with household garbage. Garbage, at least in director Zemeckis’ cinematic [...]
Before ATMs
Saturday, July 25th, 2009In 1971, at the age of 27, I took my first trip to South America. I had just finished spending the summer in Panama City, Panama, consulting for Booz, Allen and Hamilton. Since I’d earned a lot of vacation credits and was already halfway to South America, I decided to keep heading south for a [...]
On Being of Multiple Minds about Personality – Multiplicity by Rita Carter
Friday, July 24th, 2009When it comes to the study of the human psyche, any theory decrying itself as ‘new’ is flirting dangerously with the watchdogs of medical research history. Which is the prime problem facing Rita Carter’s latest book, Multiplicity: The New Science of Personality, Identity and the Self. The human brain, and the complexity of our programming, [...]
Microgrids Challenge to Big Utility Goliaths
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009It is an environmentalist’s dream – harnessing the power of natural resources to provide households with cheaper, more reliable energy. For thousands of American homeowners this is a daily reality – not just a dream, as rooftop solar panels and wind turbines reduce their reliance on traditional power utilities. But for all the promise of [...]
Getting a Date in the ’50s
Saturday, July 18th, 2009During my late teen years, my two best friends and I didn’t have the best success rate getting dates. Why? Because Clipper, Phil, and I would wait until the eleventh hour to try to find dates-well, more specifically, till 5 p.m. on a Saturday night. After playing sports all day-usually tennis-we’d come back to my [...]
Charles Schwab – Succeeding in a Lifelong Struggle with Dyslexia
Friday, July 17th, 2009Most people may not consider a college career steeped in Economics courses to be the golden road to happiness. But then again, Charles Schwab isn’t ‘most people’. Founder of the eponymous discount brokerage house, and the 55th richest person in America (according to Forbes magazine), Schwab clearly doesn’t have a problem out-performing the norm. So [...]
Frances Hesselbein – Re-Imagining Girl Scouts
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter F. Drucker Despite how you may feel about their only-once-a-year cookie sales, the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) are not, at heart, a Machiavellian organization. So it comes as little surprise that their management philosophies lean more towards promoting acceptance, diversity, [...]
Just Measure It – Making Sense of Life with Personal Metrics
Monday, July 13th, 2009When it comes to personal fitness, motivation is key. Good, powerful motivation is like your childhood best friend – capable of talking you into anything, consequences be damned. Weak – or non-existent – motivation is a soul-crushing Monster of Defeat – convincing you to toss your running shoes and dive headfirst into the nearest cookie [...]
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